How To Get Your Your First Online Clients...

In Australia at the moment, EVERYONE is talking about the Gillette advert..It's super polarising, controversial (and probably selling razors like crazy)..For those of you who haven't seen it, it's a #metoo style ad, where men are calling out other men's sexist behaviour. (See here: bit.ly/Gillette-ad).The most common response I've seen from women is applauding the ad, because they want good men to stand up for the end of misogynistic violence..The most common response I've seen from men is defensive and how they'll never buy razors from that company again..Anyway, though I've sometimes felt irritated by the arguments going on in these threads, I've refrained from commenting..Why? Because there's a specific secret method I use that allows me to hold the power position in ANY conflict - WITHOUT wasting my precious energy..It's what I use ALL. THE. TIME - and I usually only share this with paying clients..Later on today I'll be sharing this secret of how to decimate conflict ANYTIME you want, in my group. www.facebook.com/groups/FreeSpiritedEmpaths.This is especially useful for the ladies who are SICK and TIRED of "mansplaining," men always wanting to be RIGHT, having the last word and generally promoting ignorance and conflict..If you want to END the frustration of being talked over, dominated and relegated to the sidelines - come on over to my group and discover how to take back control.

Are You A Registered Allied Health Professional Who Wants A Successful Online Business, But Can't Seem To Make It Work?.Quite apart from struggling to make a decent and consistent income, you feel HOBBLED by the stringent requirements of your professional registration association..There are certain things you CAN'T do that a normal business can. .Like using testimonials, pointing out your unique strengths or promising certain results you KNOW you can deliver on..These strict guidelines make you feel nervous that you could be one vexatious complaint away from losing your licence to practice. .That makes it EVEN HARDER than other entrepreneurs to succeed in online business!.It means you've struggled to get clients, let alone your first PREMIUM, high-paying online client. You've yet to make even your first $5K in your business..How do I know about this? Because it took me YEARS to figure out how to create a successful online business as a therapist WITHOUT running foul of my mandated professional guidelines..I struggled to find ANYONE who could help me with this unique problem. I took endless online courses, hired coaches and business mentors, spent THOUSANDS of dollars and still... No results..Then this year, I had a breakthrough. I FINALLY cracked the code!.I SUCCEEDED in creating an online business with such a simple structure that I can manage it all by myself in under three hours a day..I can't tell you the THRILL it gives me to be able to create the security of a location-independent income and also have a GLOBAL, powerful and positive impact on the clients I work with. .All while continuing to run a successful and ethical private practice where I help local clients with their mental health issues. (Yes, I have TWO businesses and I LOVE both!).Now I'm reaching out to you if you can relate to this scenario. I want to connect with you! I want to hear your story and share the secret it took me years to discover..I'd LOVE for you to join my Facebook community, Free Spirited Empaths. .It's where I help professional empathic women just like you who want to transition their AMAZING skills into an online space..All you need to do to be admitted to the group is answer 3 simple, one-word questions and you're in! The link to join is here: bit.ly/2V7rC88.I CAN'T WAIT to meet you! <3 <3 <3 ... See MoreSee Less

5 Tips To Create Connection Online For Empaths

How To Create Connection Online

How do you safely create connection online? If you’ve been bullied at work, it’s likely you’ll feel super-sensitive to the possibility of being abused again, especially online. The two most frequent complaints I hear from clients is that workplace bullying leaves them feeling:

1) Isolated and

2) Full of self-doubt

Exacerbating this fear is the sheer volume of cyberbullying online and also the fear of the workplace bully stalking you and retaliating if you put a foot wrong. No wonder the world’s largest social media platform has been dubbed: “Fakebook.”

However, done properly, if you create connection online, it can be every bit as supportive, fulfilling and meaningful as connecting in real life. But how? In this article I’m going to give you five tips for how to create connection online that will help keep you safe but also get you in touch with interesting, warm-hearted people who’ll help restore your faith in humanity.

1. Choose Your Purpose

It’s super important you have a clear purpose for being on any social media platform, preferably one that isn’t about being too “personal.” For example, some reasons you might create connection online is to share ideas, to meet like-minded people, to promote your business, to network for your career, etc…

Using social media for what it was designed for – which is to share your personal life with friends and family is possibly the worst way to create connection online – because it sets you up to be exploited by advertisers and leaves you vulnerable to stalkers finding out more about you than is healthy for them to know.

Everything you post online is forever, even if you take down a post, screenshots can still be taken and even the most innocent-seeming information can be used against you.

The kinds of posts that cause subscribers grief are ones that involve photos of their children, naming the companies they work for, revealing their personal contact details, holiday itineraries and other information that can be leveraged to damage important aspects of their lives.

Decide to only share information you’d be comfortable sharing on the front page of a national newspaper – like ideas you want to promote or things that boost your image. For example, you might want to send a message of world peace, endorse an organic skin care product or showcase what a terrific person you are in lovely, smiling photos of you. Sharing your favourite colour with the world or the fact that you’re a dog person are pretty innocuous facts, unlikely to cause offence but equally likely to present you as highly relatable and likeable.

2. Choose The Community Based On Your Needs

There are many excellent resources for targets of workplace bullying to create connection online. If you require information such as where to go for legal advice, emotional coping strategies or job search information, larger communities can provide good value.

However, there are downsides to connecting with a larger group – one of which is that you won’t get too much personalised support (or if you do, it will be short-lived). Also, with open groups, your confidentiality isn’t assured. Anyone can find a group by searching on, say, “workplace bullying” in the search bar of Facebook and find out if you’re a member.

In some groups, any other member can add you (not only the administrators – depending on the group settings). Therefore, anything you post in there (or comment on) is like advertising on the front page of a newspaper. Anyone stalking you can read your posts, which they can then screenshot to use against you with management or HR.

Are You An “Ideal Customer?”

Another potential downside is that coaches closely monitor these groups when they’re looking for their “ideal” target customers. Beware. The internet is like the wild west: there are a lot of poorly qualified coaches out there who know how to take advantage of your vulnerability to turn a profit.

If you’re approached by one of these coaches, make sure to do your due diligence before hiring them to work with you. Specifically, check out their: qualifications, experience, integrity, generosity, knowledge and other credentials important to you.

DON’T rely on testimonials – anecdotal evidence is not the same as evidence collected in a research study. People give testimonials when they’re at the peak of their enthusiasm for the “guru” and not after buyer’s remorse sets in. How do you know those glowing testimonials aren’t from someone who now regrets being “conned?”

The type of community where you’ll get the best support is a small, intimate group with clearly defined ground rules for the group. The group administrator should able to add members, by invitation only. The price of entry will be well worth the support, connection and safety you receive.

3. Make Sure There’s Eye Contact

The best way to connect with your community is to make sure you have regular eye contact – in fact, my distinguished colleague, Robert Sutton, emphasised the importance of eye contact in maintaining civility and empathy, citing important research in his new book:“The Asshole Survival Guide: How To Deal With People Who Treat You Like Dirt.”

To create connection online, you need eye contact because it elicits empathy and a deeper understanding. The best online communities include weekly coaching calls with an app such as Zoom, where all participants can appear on the call so you get to interact with them face-to-face in real time. My own experience in participating in, as well as running such groups is that tremendously warm friendships develop that transcend geography.

This shared intimacy is sometimes even stronger than relationships with people in your immediate vicinity because of your shared experience. Coaching calls work best with less than 10 participants on a call, so that everyone gets an opportunity to share their personal concerns.

4. Get Advice You Can Implement

The most successful groups on social media are those that help their participants implement the advice, skills, strategies and techniques they’re sharing. A good leader encourages implementation in two main ways: accountability and inspiration. The administrator of the group will hold participants accountable to complete weekly homework tasks, relevant to the learning goals.

Sometimes it might mean pairing up with another participant, other times it could mean posting your homework in the group. Additionally, you’ll feel inspired when you see your fellow members posting their completed homework tasks. You won’t want to miss out on the benefits they’re getting by doing the work.

The more you engage in the group, the more feedback and positive reinforcement you’ll receive, which will encourage you even more to pursue the results you desire. Then, your confidence will improve as you gain a clearer perspective about what’s happening to you. You’ll feel less isolated and gain more courage to do what you need to deal with the workplace bullying.

The last community I ran had ten members and those who actively engaged in the process (i.e., posted more frequently, attended all the calls, completed the online modules) had a significant increase in their confidence. They felt they could create connection online whilst simultaneously decreasing their levels of anxiety, stress and depression. In contrast, those who didn’t participate obtained zero result (hardly surprising).

Here are some typical before-and-after results obtained by my small group of engaged participants in the “Walk Away From Work Stress” online program, as measured by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS):

5. Make Sure Your Online Etiquette Is Impeccable

There’s a saying: “hurt people hurt people.” Sadly this is often true for targets of workplace bullying when they resort to ranting rather than sharing. In an effort to discharge stress, targets write often incoherent accounts of their experiences. Replete with poor grammar, spelling and endless paragraphs, their revenge fantasies leave others feeling totally disengaged.

Unfortunately such a strategy is only likely to prolong their sense of isolation rather than give them the connection they need.

To get your needs met, never lose sight of sharing with others. Retain your empathy and humanity. Express that good stuff in your posts for others who genuinely want the best for you to amply reward you with their love and support.

Believe it or not, humans are hard-wired for empathy unless you’re a psychopath. Nothing moves others more towards supporting you than when you’re really vulnerable. That might surprise you after being badly treated for so long, but that’s what creates the healing.

To get the very best out of your community, make sure your online etiquette is impeccable. This means your posts need to offer something of value to your reader. Share your authentic self. Give valuable resources to others such as an article or a book recommendation. Reach out with empathy to another or share your humour, insights and inspiration.

How Do You Come Across Online?

To find out how well you come across online, there’s awebsite that gives you a reputation score, which gives you a rough idea of what someone might find if they Google-search you. It’s useful because potential employers or clients will check out your online reputation before they decide to employ you.

In 2015 a Facebook bully targeted me. She had already trolled other small businesses. She gave them poor online reviews and made derogatory, even racist remarks. I put out a call for help to my Facebook community, whereupon they retrieved her nasty comments and posted them all in a single thread (which remains public on my FB timeline to this day). My community came up with some surprising information! In one post, there was enough to damage her entire professional reputation; somewhat problematic given her status as a local finance professional trying to drum up new business!

Therefore, if you see something that you disagree with, that irritates or upsets you, block, ignore or delete the comment. NEVER say anything vile or judgemental about anyone online. Resist the urge to vent and if you have a temporary brain fart, go back and delete that comment. Never write negative reviews that would damage the reputation or business interests of another person. Make sure you show courtesy, kindness and empathy and run a spell / grammar check before you post!

In Conclusion…

These five tips are well worth heeding. If you do, you should be pretty safe online, despite your bruising encounters with workplace bullying. Remember: choose your purpose and the right community based on your needs. Make sure there’s eye contact with your new friends. Get advice you can implement and make sure your online etiquette is impeccable. Even if there’s a cost associated with the obtaining this support, the value you’ll get will far exceed the cost. It may even save you your career, reputation, income and sanity.

As an Empath Entrepreneur, I’m especially interested in helping professional women who want to take their amazing skills into a new online business with the aim of building a location independent income.
I’ve had over 10 years’ experience in creating a compelling online presence. In fact, if you Google: “Dr Sophie Henshaw,” you’ll get over 201,000 hits with all the posts, articles and media appearances I’ve made over the years.
I’ve appeared on Channel 10, 6PR, Fremantle Herald and WA Today. I’ve had articles published in PsychCentral, Women’s Agenda, NineMSN Health, Rebelle Society and Huffington Post. I’m currently a Thought Catalog contributor.
P.S. I also practice as a clinical psychologist in my "offline" life!

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